Vitola: #nlmtha (Lancero)- 7” x 38 ring gauge
- ~$18
- Gifted by a friend
Background
When Steve Saka first set up the product line for Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust one of his plans was the “Muestra de Saka” series…basically a series of limited edition cigars that would be individual blends where he played with different concepts outside his normal comfort zone. Exclusivo was a milder blend than he normal like to make. Nacatamale was a cigar made all with tobacco from a single farm. In March he released #nlmtha which is a Lancero, a vitola he notoriously dislikes…but he gave in to the “Lancero Whores” who complained for years that he didn’t make one, then called it “Now Leave Me The Hell Alone.”
I couldn’t find official information, but it appears this is a Nicaraguan puro made in the Joya de Nicaragua factory, with the wrapper a “Dark Habano” leaf.
I could only get my hands on one of these for this review and it was actually gifted to me by a friend. Site sponsors, Small Batch Cigar and Cigar and Pipes, both carry the Muestra de Saka lines, but are both out of stock of this release at the time of this writing. Check back in with them if Steve decides to do another release.
Prelight
Presentation is standard for the Muestra de Saka releases so far: a wooden box with 7 coffins inside, each containing a single cigar. Each cigar is wrapped in cellophane with a yellow foot band ribbon that has “Muestra de Saka” in red outline text, and the name of the blend—#NLMTHA—in solid black on top of that.
The wrapper leaf was a medium-brown milk chocolate color, smooth and slightly oily to the touch. It had an aroma mix of earth, cedar and coffee beans, while the narrow foot of the Lancero had a rich earthiness with touches of cocoa powder and coffee.
The cold draw was excellent, among the best I’ve ever had from a Lancero, as a matter of fact. I picked up cold flavors of tea, earth, and a slight sweetness.
Flavor
The MdS #nlmtha fired up easily with a minimal amount of fire applied. I got cedar and cinnamon, earth and unsweetened cocoa right off the bat. Subsequent puffing brought out some sweetness in the form of bittersweet chocolate along with espresso bean notes. The body was medium-plus from the beginning.
As I got into the second third, there was even more cinnamon while the cedar notes had dropped off a bit. I got a bit of pepper spice in the mix and an increased sweetness. Earth and coffee bean notes continued to play at about the same levels.
In the last third, the earthier notes built up a bit and I got a spicier burn on my tongue and lips. The sweetness and coffee notes ebbed a bit.
Construction
I had an excellent draw, very even burn line and an ash that held on long enough for a Lancero.
Value
These are a little pricey. As I recall, the other Muestra de Saka releases were not quite as much, but unfortunately in this age of FDA user fees, prices continue to go up, up up. I’m going to say it’s worth it, but just barely.
Conclusions
It would have been very easy for Steve Saka to create a pepper bomb with this all-Nicaraguan Lancero, but the Muestra de Saka #nlmtha is instead a balanced medium-full bodied cigar with a very nice flavor profile from end to end and a very pleasing amount of complexity. It would be a shame if these didn’t become a semi-regular release from Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, in spite of how Steve feels about the vitola…hey, I have an idea: start bugging the crap out of him to make more! <snicker>
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
